Kitchen table
a 'safe haven' for considering life changes

By Jane R.
Elgass

Laurita Thomas
emphasized developing a plan for change, committing yourself to the plan
and enlisting the support of colleagues and friends if you're considering
a job change. She addressed an appreciative audience of more than 650 at
the March 5 People of Color Conference. Photo by Bob
Kalmbach

Your kitchen table, or that of a colleague or
friend, just might be the spot from which you'll launch your next step up
the career ladder.

Talk among friends, offering tips and ideas about
what may or may not work, is one of the best forms of support and
networking one can have in a world in which the doors to more fulfilling
jobs are not opening as easily as they once did.

And if you're serious
about that climb up the ladder, or want to change jobs to prepare you for
that next step, you first must make a commitment to yourself to do all
that is necessary to effect that change, Laurita Thomas told an
appreciative audience at the annual People of Color Task Force Conference
on March 5. More than 670 people attended the conference, which is
sponsored by the Women of Color Task Force.

Thomas noted that even
though she has a beautiful, color-coordinated living room that dreams are
made of, the important work gets done at the kitchen table.

That's where
the major decisions are made-in a comfortable, non-pressured environment
that permits exploration of all the options. The friends and colleagues
sharing your pot of tea are your network and your support system as you
try to map out the next few months of your life. You trust them and they
trust you, giving everyone the freedom to express themselves, Thomas
explained.

Her remarks brought sharper focus to a skit performed prior
to her address by five women, sitting around a table topped by a
red-and-white-checked tablecloth, all working to help a friend sort out
her life and determine what she wants, having decided that her current job
of two years doesn't hold any more challenges.

First and foremost,
Thomas and the role-players emphasized, is developing a plan and
committing yourself to that plan. If you need to develop new skills or
sharpen others, take a look at courses that are available through Human
Resource Development and the Information Technology Division.

Once
you've developed a plan and committed to seeing it through, put out the
word and let everyone know what you'd like to accomplish. If you're a bit
shy and not about to shout out your desires to the world, participate in
activities in which you're comfortable, possibly groups at church or your
child's school, and quietly let others know about your goal.

In
determining what you'd like to do, don't overlook the opportunity to
change the job you're in. Maybe your current job can be enhanced in a way
that will satisfy you, allowing you to stay in a setting in which you're
already comfortable. And it's to the supervisor's advantage to retain
staff members who know what needs to be done and have the skills to
it.

Thomas, who started at the University 25 years and 12 promotions ago
as a diploma clerk, acknowledged the support system that has helped her
along the way, including her mother, her sons and her father, as well as
staff from Health System Human Resources where she is human resources
administrator and assistant director-personnel.

Alluding to the
conference theme of "Ready, Set, Go TEAM," Thomas noted that the strength
of that bridge over troubled water lies in teamwork, noting that it's OK
to give as well as receive. Key to successful teamwork, no matter the
level or circumstances, Thomas emphasized, is hard work and a unity of
purpose that is based on trust among the members, all elements combining
to build a foundation of commitment.

The unity of purpose you developed
with your colleagues before you embarked on the journey will give you a
foothold when you need it, a chance to reflect and renew your commitment,
Thomas noted. And when you reach the peak, reflect on your heritage and
get ready to sit down at the kitchen table with one of your colleagues
who's thinking about looking for a new job.